Valveless suction apparatus



Feb. 12, 1948. A. Bmg 2,394,888

VALVELES S SUCTION APPARATUS Filed Aug'. 12. 1845 Patented Feb. 12, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,394,888 vALvELEss sUcTroN APPARATUS y James A. Betts, Easton, Pa.

\ Application August 12, 1943, Serial No. 498,358

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in Surgical apparatus of the type adapted to impose sustained suction for evacuation of the stomach or other bodycavity, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a simplified, more readily manipulated, and substantially leak proof apparatus of this class.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel and improved means for periodically washing the said cavity with liquid from external source.

Still another object of the invention is to proi vide .a simple gauge device for indicating the presence or absence of suction and, if present, its relative strength.

In the attached drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of an apparatus made in accordance with the invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are fragmentary sectional views illustrating details of the mechanical structure, and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic View showing the suction system.

With reference to the drawing, the device comprises a standard I made, preferably, of tubing and comprising a base 2, mounted on castors 3, and an uprightmember 4. The' upright 4 has exible tubes I5 and I6 which pass through the branch 5 into the upright 4. The tube I5 passes out of the upright 4 through an aperture II iny the side thereof and is connected to one end of a tube I8.mounted in and preferably extendin,r transversely of the upright 4, as shown. Attached to the other end of the tube I8 is a fitting I9 by means of which the said tube I8 may be connected to three iiexible tubes, 2|, 22 and 23 respectively. The tting I9, as illustrated in Fig. 3, may consist of a hollow casing 20 into one side of which the tube I8 is threaded and which has in the opposite wall three projecting nipples for reception respectively of the Aends of the tubes 2|, 22 and 23. The tube I6 extends upwardly in the upright 4 and is connected atl its upper end to a terminal tube 24' which is held in a rubber or'other suitable washer 25 in the upper end of the upright. The upper end of the tube 24 and a portion at least of the upper surface of the washer 25 is exposed at the top of the upright, so that when the down-turned terminal end of the extension 9 of either of the containers 6 or 'I is seated upon the washer and over the upper end of the tube 24, the weight of the container-will cause the extremity of the exa branch 5, the function of ,which willbe hereinafter described.

In conjunction with the standard described above, the apparatus comprises a plurality of containers which may, as illustrated, be two in number, these containers being identical in form and being designated by the reference numerals 6 and '1. Each of the containers has at its upper end a tubular extension 9, the outer end of which is turned downwardly as illustrated, this extension constituting a support by means of which the container may be supported in depending position on the standard, and having also a function related to the operation of the suction device, as hereinafter described. The lower ends of the containers 6 and "I, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 4 areconnected by a exible tube 8,' and it will be noted that whereas the upper ends of the containers 6 and 1 may communicate withr atmosphere through the inverted U-shaped extensions 9, the lower vends of the containers are sealed except as to their connection with each other by way of the tube 8. l

The branch 5 of the upright 4- of the standard hasv a downnturned outer end which engages the top. of a stopper II in a receptacle I2 and thereby holds the receptacle in place upon one of the arms of the base 2.. The stopper III carries two glass or other tubes I3 vand' I4 and these latter tubes are connected respectively to tension 9 to bear down solidly upon the washer so as to effectively seal the joint between the extension and the tube. To this end, also, the container is maintained in substantially vertical position by means of a bracket 39 on the upright 4, so that the thrust of the turned down end of the extension 9 upon the said washer is in the vertical direction and normal to the planes of both the washer and the s'aid end. This arrangement and relation of parts is best illustrated in Fig. 2, wherein it will be noted that the extremity of the extension 9 is forcibly seated on the rubber stopper 25 in a manner to effect the seal aforesaid. In the drawing, the container 'I is shown as supported in the lower part of the standard, being suspended from a bail 26 through which the turned over end of the extension 9 is passed as illustrated. The outer extremity of the extension 9 of the container I is, in this position, openvto atmosphere so that a liquid in the container 6 may flow by gravity through the flexible tube 8 into the bottom of the container 'l and will so flow until the container 6 is empty. Such ilow will impose suction upon the tube I6, through the tube uponY the interior of the receptacle I2, and through the receptacle upon the tube I5. Suction will be similarly imy vice will act to evacuate the cavity, and such of the contents as may be drawn through the tubes 2l and l5 will flow into the receptacle I2. The suction will be a sustained one and will continue until the container 6 is emptied of its liquid contents. At this point, if the suction is to be further maintained, the container E will be removed to the bottom of the standard and the container 1 elevated to the position previously occupied by the container 6, whereupon the liquid contents of the container 1 will drain to the container 6. When it may be required to empty the receptacle I2, the outer end of the branch pipe may be separated from the inner end through the medium of a suitable detachable coupling 21 which, when released, will permit an elevation of the outer terminal end of the branch pipe 5 to an extent permitting removal of the receptacle I2 from its support upon one of the arms of the base 2 of the standard and removal of the stopper II with the tubes I3 and I4 from the mouth of the receptacle. Y

Supported from the upper part .of the standard is a container 28, this being suspended in an inverted position from a bail 29 ,attached tof the container and engaging a hook orthe like positioned near the topr ofv upright 4. A suitable stopper 3l is fitted into the bottom of the container 28 and this stopper contains a tube 32 which extends` completely through the stopper and upwardly through the interior of the container 28 to the upper end thereof, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The stopper 3| contains a second tube 33 to which is connected the tube 23. The tube 23 is normally compressed and closed by means of a hemostat 34, or by other suitable` clamp or valve, and when this clamp is released the liquid in the container 28 willbe free to run through the tube 23 and the tube 2I to the body cavity. In order to preclude flow of liquid into the tube I5, that tube may be clamped off by the clamp 34. Subsequently the tube 23 may again be clamped so that the suction device may operate to evacuate the liquid from the body cavity to the receptacle I2.

The tube 22 extends upwardly in a loop 35 and downwardly through the upright 4 of the standard to an aperture 36 in the side of the latter where the said tube passes out of the upright. A t this point, it may be connected to a transparent or other suitable sight gauge tube 31 and this tube is in turn connected through av terminal tube 38 to the interior of one or more of the hollow cross arms of the base 2. This hollow base may act as a reservoir for a suitable liquid which, when suction is imposed upon the tube 22, as described above, will be elevated from the reservoir into the sight-tube 31. The level of the liquid in this tube will constitute a gauge of the amount of suction, if any, being imposed upon the suction duct 2 I.

I claim:

,1. In a valveless suction apparatus of the type including a receptacle and a suction tube extending between said receptacle and the body cavity to be evacuated; a substantially vertical tubular standard having an open upper end; a washer within said end; a suction duct having its upper end passed through said washer and terminating at the upper face thereof, and having its lower end connected to said receptacle; a bracket on said standard near the upper portion thereof; a liquid container having at its upper end a substantially inverted U-shaped tubular extension and supported in substantially vertical position at the upper portion of said standard with the side of said container in engagement with said bracket, and with the end of its tubular extension resting on said washer, whereby the depending weight and liquid contents of said container cause said end to form a seal with said washer and with the terminal end o-f said suction duct; and a flexible tube connected to the lower end of said container so that liquid may iiow by gravity therefrom to thereby create suction within the receptacle and within the suction tube connected thereto.

2. In a valveless suction apparatus of the type defined in claim 1 wherein the flexible tube connected to the lower end of the container is also connected to the lower end of a container of like construction positioned at a level below the first-mentioned container, whereby either of said containers may be selectively andinterchangeably supported at thel upper portion of the standard.

3. In a valveless suction apparatus of the type including a receptacle and a suction tube extending between said receptacle and the body cavity to be evacuated; a substantially vertical tubular standard having an open upper end;` a washer within said end; a suction duct having its upper end passing through said washer and terminating at the upper face thereof, andV having its lower end connected tosaid receptacle; a bracket on said standard near the upper portion thereof a bail on said standard near the lower portion thereof; a pair of. similar, readily interchangeable liquid containers each having at its upper end a substantially inverted U-shaped tubular extension, one of said containers being supl ported at the lower portion of said standard by engagement of its tubular extension with said bail, and the other of said containers beingsupported in substantially vertical position at the upper portion of said standard with the side of said container in engagement with said bracket and with the end of its tubular extension resting upon saidrwasher, whereby the ,weight and liquid contents of `said container cause the said end to form a seal with said washer and with the terminal end of said suctionduct; and a tube connecting the lower ends of said pair of containers so Ythat liquid in the upper container may flow by gravity into the lower container to thereby create suction within the receptacle and within the suction tube connected thereto.

4. In a valveless suction apparatus of the type defined in claim l, including a liquid reservoir, a tube connecting said reservoir with the suction tube, and a substantially vertical sightgauge tube constituting a section of the tube which connects the reservoir with the suction tube, whereby liquid willbe drawn from said reservoir into said sight-gauge tube where its level will constitute a measure of the degree of suction existing in said suction tube.

5. In a valveless suction apparatus of the type defined in claim 1, where the standard is supported on a base having a liquid reservoir therein, and lwherein the apparatus includes a tube connecting said reservoir with the suction tube, and a substantially vertical sight-gauge tube constituting a section of the tube which connects the reservoir with the suction tube, whereby liquid may be drawn from the reservoir in the base of the standard into said sight-gauge tube where its level will constitute a measure of the degree of suction existing in said suction tube.

JAMES A. BETTS. 

